General Program Updates

HUD

HUD News & Updates

HUD continues to strengthen and expand the Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) Initiative, creating greater flexibility for communities and improving access to housing assistance for young people transitioning from foster care.

July 2026: HUD Expands FYI Through Notice PIH 2026-19

On July 27, 2026, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued Notice PIH 2026-19, establishing significant changes to the Foster Youth to Independence Initiative and superseding the previous FYI Notice PIH 2023-04.

The new notice is designed to expand access, remove administrative barriers, and make it easier for Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) and Public Child Welfare Agencies (PCWAs) to respond when eligible young people need housing assistance.

Key Highlights

  • Voucher caps removed. HUD removed the previous limit on the number of FYI vouchers a PHA may request during a federal fiscal year, subject to available funding.
  • Utilization threshold removed. PHAs already administering FYI or Family Unification Program (FUP) vouchers are no longer subject to the previous utilization threshold submission requirement before requesting additional FYI vouchers.
  • Approximately $38.2 million available. HUD made approximately $25 million in new FYI voucher assistance available along with approximately $13.2 million in carryover funding.
  • Rolling, noncompetitive access continues. Eligible PHAs can request FYI vouchers as eligible youth are identified and referred, while funding remains available.
  • Unused resources can be reallocated. The notice establishes processes for returning, recapturing, and reallocating FYI assistance that is no longer needed so resources can be directed to communities with identified demand.
  • Communities are encouraged to prepare before a youth needs a voucher. HUD encourages PHAs to establish partnerships with child welfare agencies and update their Administrative Plans in advance. This allows communities to respond more quickly when an eligible young person is referred.
  • FYI partnerships remain essential. PHAs must partner with a Public Child Welfare Agency to participate in the noncompetitive FYI process.
  • Earlier HUD flexibilities remain important. PIH 2026-19 clarifies how the waivers and alternative requirements established under PIH 2025-08 apply to FYI.

Why it matters: These changes move FYI closer to a demand-driven housing resource. Communities have greater ability to organize their systems around identified youth need rather than arbitrary voucher caps or utilization thresholds.

View HUD Notice PIH 2026-19.

April 2025: HUD Introduces New FYI and FUP Flexibilities

On April 9, 2025, HUD issued Notice PIH 2025-08: Statutory and Regulatory Waivers for Family Unification Program (FUP) and Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) Vouchers.

Authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, the notice provides mandatory and optional waivers and alternative requirements intended to reduce barriers and give young people greater opportunities to successfully obtain and maintain housing.

Key Highlights

  • More time to find housing. HUD provided greater flexibility related to the initial voucher search period and extensions, helping prevent young people from losing assistance simply because they need additional time to locate an appropriate unit.
  • Greater flexibility around referrals. The notice provides flexibility related to the timing of referrals for young people preparing to leave foster care, helping communities begin the housing process earlier.
  • Reduced administrative barriers. HUD authorized changes involving waiting lists, local preferences, voucher search periods, and other program requirements to improve FYI and FUP implementation.
  • Greater opportunity for PHAs and child welfare agencies to coordinate. The flexibilities give local partners additional tools to design processes around the needs of young people rather than requiring every community to rely on the same traditional Housing Choice Voucher procedures.
  • Focus on successful lease-up and housing stability. The overall purpose of the changes is to help FYI and FUP participants secure safe housing and maintain long-term stability.

Why it matters: A voucher only prevents homelessness when a young person can successfully use it. These flexibilities give communities additional tools to reduce delays, begin planning earlier, and help young people move from referral to housing more successfully.

View HUD Notice PIH 2025-08.

What These Changes Mean for FYI

Taken together, PIH 2025-08 and PIH 2026-19 represent important changes in the evolution of FYI. HUD has provided communities with greater flexibility, removed significant barriers to requesting additional vouchers, encouraged earlier coordination between housing and child welfare systems, and strengthened the ability of communities to respond when eligible young people need housing.

The opportunity now is to translate these federal policy changes into coordinated state and local systems that identify eligible youth early, connect them to support services, process referrals efficiently, and move young people into stable housing as quickly as possible.

Additional HUD Resource

Visit HUD Foster Youth to Independence Program Page.

State Office Housing Program

State Office Housing Program - News & Updates

Building a Statewide Pathway from Foster Care to Housing Stability (2026)
The Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) program continues to grow and evolve. What began as an effort to connect eligible young adults leaving foster care with housing vouchers has developed into a more coordinated statewide approach focused on improving access, reducing delays, strengthening partnerships, and helping young people achieve long-term housing stability.

Today, our work is focused on more than simply obtaining vouchers. We are building a system that connects child welfare, public housing authorities, support service providers, community partners, and young people through a clearer and more coordinated process.

Where We Are Today

Texas has significantly expanded access to FYI. Our statewide network now includes approximately 50 public housing authority partnerships, creating more opportunities for eligible young adults to access housing assistance throughout the state.

More than 750 FYI vouchers have been issued, representing extraordinary growth from the 42 vouchers available during the program's early implementation. More than $7.5 million in federal housing assistance has been brought into Texas communities to help young adults transition from foster care toward safe and stable housing.

At the same time, we have continued strengthening the infrastructure behind the program.

  • Centralized FYI referrals and foster care verification
  • Dedicated housing support and technical assistance
  • Regional housing liaisons and stronger local partnerships
  • Housing planning beginning before young people leave care
  • Housing readiness, strategy, and options planning
  • Improved coordination with public housing authorities
  • Increased access to voluntary supportive services
  • Data tracking and continuous quality improvement
  • Development of statewide housing pathways that allow young people greater flexibility in where they live

The goal is simple: young people should not have to navigate multiple disconnected systems to find housing.

A Stronger Statewide System

One of the most important developments has been the expansion of a statewide FYI pathway.

In June 2026, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs authorized statewide implementation of its FYI program without the previous geographic limitation. This provides another important pathway for eligible young adults to access FYI assistance regardless of whether another participating housing authority operates in their community.
This statewide option complements our network of local public housing authority partnerships and helps address one of the persistent challenges facing young adults: where a young person lives should not determine whether they can access housing assistance.

New Opportunities from HUD

HUD has also made significant changes nationally. Notice PIH 2025-08 introduced important program flexibilities designed to reduce barriers and help young people successfully lease housing.

In July 2026, HUD issued PIH 2026-19, removing the annual cap on FYI voucher requests and eliminating previous utilization threshold requirements for additional requests. HUD is also encouraging housing authorities and child welfare agencies to establish partnerships and prepare their systems before a young person needs assistance.

Together, these changes create an important opportunity to expand FYI while improving how communities implement it.

What's Next

The next phase of our work is about moving from program expansion to system optimization.

We will continue expanding access to FYI while strengthening the entire pathway from identification and housing planning through referral, voucher issuance, lease-up, supportive services, and long-term housing stability.

Our priorities include improving referral and application processes, reducing the time between referral and housing, strengthening statewide and local partnerships, increasing voucher utilization, improving data and outcome tracking, expanding training and technical assistance, and ensuring young people understand their housing options before they leave foster care.

We also want to strengthen the connection between housing stability and the next stage of adulthood. That means helping young people move beyond crisis response toward education, employment, financial stability, economic mobility, and, when possible, eventual homeownership.

The Vision

Our vision is a coordinated housing system where every eligible young person leaving foster care has a clear pathway to safe and stable housing.

The system should be easier to understand, easier to access, and easier to navigate.
We have made significant progress. The next step is connecting the pieces into a stronger statewide system so young people can spend less time navigating programs and more time building their futures.

Section 811 Program

Section 811 Program News & Updates

811 announces several areas are now open and available in Travis County, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso.  Contact Regional Housing Liaisons for more information.

Regional Housing Updates

Not sure which region your county is in? Find your DFPS region.

Region 1

Region 1 News & Updates:

  • Partnership with Lubbock PHA offering FUP vouchers.  Lubbock also has FYI ready to go when FUP maxed out.
  • Partnership with Pan Handle PHA offering FYI vouchers.
  • Partnership with South Plains PHA offering FYI vouchers.  Rural areas.
  • Partnership with Amarillo offering FYI/FUP vouchers.
Region 2

Region 2 News & Updates:

  • Partnership with Abilene PHA offering FYI vouchers.
Region 3

Region 3E News & Updates:

  • Partnership with Texoma Council of Government offering FUP and FYI vouchers. 
  • Partnership with Mesquite PHA offering FYI vouchers. 
  • Partnership with McKinney PHA offering FYI vouchers.
  • Partnership with Dallas County PHA offering FYI vouchers.
  • Partnership with City of Dallas PHA offering FYI (In-progress)

Region 3W News & Updates:

  • Partnership with Denton PHA offering FYI vouchers.
  • Partnership with Tarrant County PHA offering FUP and FYI vouchers.
  • Partnership with City of Dallas PHA offering FUP vouchers. 
  • Partnership with Fort Worth PHA offering FUP vouchers. 
  • Partnership with Arlington PHA offering FUP and FYI vouchers.
Region 4

Region 4 News & Updates:

Partnership with Longview PHA offering FYI vouchers.

Region 5

Region 5 News & Updates:

  • Partnership with Deep East Texas PHA offering FYI vouchers. 
  • Partnership with Port Arthur PHA offering FYI vouchers.
  • Partnership with Beaumont PHA offering FUP vouchers.
Region 6

Region 6A News & Updates:

  • Partnership with Houston PHA offering FUP and FYI vouchers.
  • Partnership with Harris County PHA offering FYI vouchers.

Region 6B News & Updates:

  • Partnership with Rosenberg PHA offering FYI vouchers.
  • Partnership with Galveston County PHA offering FYI vouchers. 
  • Partnership with Brazoria County offering FYI vouchers.
Region 7

Region 7A News & Updates:

  • Partnership with Waco/McLennan PHA offering FYI vouchers.
  • Partnership with Round Rock/Taylor PHA offering FYI vouchers. 
  • Partnership with Brazos Valley Council of Governments (Bryan/College Station) offering FYI vouchers.
  • Partnership with Central Texas Council of Governments offering FUP vouchers.  Limited availability.  Limited activity.

Region 7B News & Updates:

  • Partnership with Austin PHA offering FUP and FYI vouchers.
  • Partnership with Travis County PHA offering FUP vouchers.  Limited availability. 
Region 8

Region 8A News & Updates:

  • Partnership with San Antonio PHA offering FYI vouchers.
  • Partnership with Bexar County PHA offering FYI vouchers.

Region 8B News & Updates:

  • Partnership Victoria County PHA offering FYI vouchers.
Region 9

Region 9 News & Updates:

  • Partnership with San Angelo PHA offering FUP and FYI vouchers.
  • Partnership with Odessa PHA offering FYI vouchers. 
  • Partnership with Midland PHA offering FYI vouchers.
Region 10

Region 10 News & Updates:

  • Partnership with El Paso City offering FYI vouchers.
  • Partnership with El Paso County offering FYI vouchers.
Region 11

Region 11A News & Updates:

  • Partnership with Corpus Christi PHA offering FYI vouchers.
  • Partnership with Kenedy PHA offering FYI vouchers.
  • Partnership with Laredo PHA offering FYI vouchers.

Region 11B News & Updates:

  • Partnership with Brownville PHA offering FUP and FYI vouchers.
  • Partnership with Harlingen PHA offering FYI vouchers.
  • Partnership with Pharr PHA offering FYI vouchers.
  • Partnership with Port Isabel PHA offering FYI vouchers.
  • Partnership with Robstown PHA offering FYI vouchers.
  • Partnership with San Benito PHA offering FYI vouchers.
  • Partnership with Hidalgo County PHA offering FYI vouchers.
  • Partnership with McAllen County PHA offering FYI vouchers.